The Pain of Separation
by Dancin'Andy
Summary: Gaara spends some time with Naruto in Konoha, but before he leaves, Naruto has something very important he'd like to say... Yaoi One-Shot Fluff GaaNaru NaruGaa


Note: A gift for kathlaida-princess because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have edited and finished this. =]  
I originally did this for ~kosmonauttihai's GaaNaru contest a while ago, but it was SO AWFUL that I didn't even want to post it. So I kind of changed most of the story, and now I like it a lot better. =]  
(If it were a contest for being corny, I would have won. haha)

The Pain of Separation

There wasn't even the slightest hesitation; the blonde wasted no time as he pulled Gaara away from his siblings the first chance he got. To no one's surprise, he had dominated most of the conversations they'd had during the two days Gaara had been in Konoha; he spared very little details while explaining everything that had happened since they had last seen each other. Gaara had listened intently, not growing tired of hearing Naruto's light and cheery voice after having to live without it for so long.

"This… Has been really nice," Naruto spoke suddenly, breaking the long but somehow _comfortable_ silence between him and his close friend Gaara. They were both sitting at the bar in Konoha's Ichiraku Ramen, having a quick and very unhealthy dinner before Gaara had to leave with his siblings and head back to Sunagakure.

Gaara kept a blank expression on his face with his body turned slightly to face Naruto. He leaned his elbows on the bar with his chin resting on the backs of his hands. But he didn't respond right away, so Naruto awkwardly elaborated his previous statement, "Umm… You know… The two of us spending time together like this… It seems like we never get to see each other, you know?"

Gaara nodded in response, and Naruto grinned, staring warmly into Gaara's fierce powder blue eyes. Gaara felt his face flush slightly, and he fought his instinct to turn his gaze away.

"You're so easy for me to talk to…" Naruto started, but he trailed off when he saw the expression on Gaara's face change to amusement, "What?" the blonde demanded with a pout.

"I don't really get that a lot," Gaara said bluntly, with his usual blank expression on his face. Naruto laughed aloud a little, but then he paused, eager to make his point.

Both his expression and tone of voice turned appreciative again, "But really Gaara… I really _like_ talking to you… Maybe it's because you actually _want_ to hear what I have to say… Or… Or at least that's what it _seems_ like…" he added quickly and nervously, as if Gaara would have gotten irritated by that assumption. Gaara nodded subtly in response. He had the slightest bit of a smirk on his face from seeing how nervous Naruto was getting, "And most of all… I… I know you won't judge me…" Naruto continued, smiling affectionately with rosy cheeks.

"I… I feel the same way about you, Naruto…" Gaara murmured almost inaudibly.

"Really?" Naruto questioned, feeling both surprised and flattered. He completely turned his body to face Gaara, making him tense slightly.

Gaara nodded, unable to keep eye contact with Naruto as he started to speak, "You were the first person who truly understood me… The first person to believe in me… I've learned so much from you… And I'm still learning," he corrected quickly, "You saved me… Completely changed me, and I'll never be able to thank you enough…"

Naruto's face flushed even more, and he smiled with embarrassment, "Gaara…" he murmured.

Gaara paused, his eyes piercing Naruto's own, "Naruto, I feel like I can trust you completely and unconditionally…"

Naruto was quick to realize the significance of that last statement, especially coming from someone like him, "Gaara… You…" he paused for a moment; the appreciative gleam in Gaara's eyes had distracted him, "Y-You give me way too much credit," he stammered, still blushing lightly.

Gaara looked a little dejected, "No, Naruto… I… I really mean it."

"So I really mean that much to you…" Naruto murmured to himself, staring off into space past the bar in front of him. Realization was apparent in his expression, but when he picked his head up to look at Gaara again, he smirked, "Wow… You win… I really can't top how corny you just were!" He said through laughter, and Gaara's face turned bright red in embarrassment, "I'm really flattered, though!" The blonde added enthusiastically as he ran his hand through his hair and laughed again.

Gaara's eyes filled with relief. He gazed at Naruto, who had just started eating his dinner again, finishing off his second bowl of ramen for the evening. Naruto drank the broth and set the bowl down on the bar with an obnoxious clattering sound. He paused for a moment, smiling in satisfaction, and then glanced at Gaara's bowl of ramen, which hadn't even been touched throughout their entire meal.

"Umm…"

"Go ahead," Gaara said with a knowing smirk, and he slid his bowl over to Naruto, who grinned gratefully; he was both surprised and glad that Gaara had noticed the hunger in his eyes without having to be given any hints.

But as Naruto gorged himself with his third bowl, Gaara grew more and more despondent and regretful. He knew he had to leave Konoha sometime soon, but he didn't want to depart just yet. Staying with Naruto had a greater appeal to him than heading for the long and boring journey back home; that boy had a greater appeal to him than _anything_, for that matter.

It felt to Gaara like the more time he spent with the blonde, the harder it was for him when he eventually had to say goodbye. He couldn't help but think of Naruto as a drug: every time they parted, Gaara went through intense withdrawal, and then still couldn't help but long for him no matter how much time passed. He couldn't help but wonder if that was what "love" really was.

Naruto noticed Gaara's sudden depression, "Is something wrong, Gaara?" he asked worriedly, turning to face him.

Gaara looked a little indecisive, and when Naruto saw him hesitating, he continued in a low voice so that no one else could hear, "You can tell me anything… You know that, right?" he murmured reassuringly. He wrapped his arm around Gaara's shoulders.

Gaara felt a surge of warmth and comfort from Naruto's physical contact, but then his heart sank; he knew very well that he shouldn't be letting himself get so emotionally attached to someone he rarely ever sees, but that's how it had always been for him when he was with Naruto.

Gaara felt his chest start to hurt, and then he realized that Naruto may have been going through the same thing. If Naruto liked him half as much as he constantly said and showed that he did the thought of the two of them being away from each other so long must have pained _him_ as well. That thought hurt Gaara more than anything else; the last thing he ever wanted was to be causing Naruto that much pain.

Gaara shook his head, as if dismissing a thought, "It's nothing, Naruto… I'm just being… _selfish_… by staying here," he muttered, still sulking.

Naruto looked confused and even a little hurt, wondering if he'd done something wrong to make Gaara so upset, "Wait… What do you mean by that?"

Gaara ignored him and continued his train of thought, "I… I should get going," he muttered, leaving money for the food bill on the table. He stood up quickly and turned to leave, but Naruto grabbed his wrist and held on tightly.

"But Gaara… It seems like you just got here…" Naruto murmured pathetically, and the look in his bright blue eyes resembled pleading.

"I'm sorry, Naruto…" Gaara murmured with a guilty tone as he glanced at Naruto's disappointed expression.

"Can't you at least stay the night?"

Gaara took a moment, like he was seriously considering Naruto's suggestion. But he knew that the pain of losing him again was inevitable, "I was supposed to leave right after the meeting finished…" he muttered, "I'm already really late. My siblings and the council have a little more patience with me than they used to, but still… I'm really pushing it this time…"

"Then at least let me walk with you," Naruto haggled while wearing that smile on his face and that gleam in his eyes that Gaara just couldn't bear to say "no" to.

Gaara sighed audibly, but Naruto didn't budge, refusing to let go of his wrist.

Gaara turned slightly to face him, "Sure," he said finally, smiling weakly and trying to hide the excruciating pain in his eyes. Naruto grinned triumphantly, and the two of them left Ichiraku Ramen.

"I'm… I'm really going to miss you, Gaara," Naruto admitted in a half-whisper as the two of them walked down the streets of Konoha. He was still holding Gaara's hand, and he gently squeezed it for emphasis.

"Same here," Gaara responded sincerely.

Naruto took a pause and looked at Gaara, "You're so different from the others… But in a _good_ way, I swear," Naruto added, quickly correcting himself so not to offend Gaara.

"You really think so?"

"Well… Yeah, Gaara… I mean, I… The truth is, I… I really… Nah, forget it."

"What is it?" 

"It's just that… I… No… No way. It's really stupid, and I won't say it. It's not worth ruining everything over," Naruto said, and it was almost as if he were talking to himself rather than Gaara.

"'Ruining everything?'" Gaara repeated with a frown.

Naruto's eyes started to water, "I just don't want to lose you…" he added almost silently, but Gaara managed to catch it.

"Wait… What do you mean by you not wanting to 'lose me'? Why would-?"

"Just forget that I ever said anything, Gaara... Okay? I'm really sorry…" Naruto murmured with a guilty expression, and he rubbed his teary eyes with his free hand. Gaara stared at him with a curious and hurt expression. He couldn't stand the fact that Naruto didn't feel like he could tell something that important to him; he figured that it must have been pretty important to make Naruto almost start crying, but he decided not to push the issue.

The two of them walked in silence until the giant front gates to Konoha came into view, and they spotted Temari, Kankuro, and Baki waiting impatiently.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, blushing as he realized he still hadn't let go of Gaara's hand. He then laughed nervously, "Sorry," he murmured as he finally let go.

"Gee, how nice of you to show up, Gaara. I was wondering if you were even coming at all," Kankuro teased, smirking at the two of them knowingly.

Gaara gave his older brother a slightly confused expression in response, wondering what exactly Kankuro knew that he didn't. But Naruto managed to catch the hint Kankuro was making, and his face turned bright red. But he tried to ignore the brunette's rude implications about what he and Gaara were doing.

"Oh… I hope you guys weren't waiting for us too long… I guess we got carried away, eh?" Naruto said, smiling embarrassedly. He looked for a response from Gaara, but all he got was the profile of his friend's depressed expression.

"We should really get going now… It's getting late," Temari said, noting the fact that the sun had almost completely set.

"Right," Gaara murmured as he and Naruto walked over to her. Temari, Kankuro, and Baki gave Naruto a quick wave and passed through the Konoha gates, slowly walking away. Gaara started to follow, but he stopped suddenly, and then slowly turned around to face Naruto again.

"I guess this is goodbye, then," Gaara murmured with a blank expression.

"Yeah…" Naruto responded glumly. But then he smiled suddenly, holding his right hand out to shake hands with Gaara in a mocking fashion. Gaara narrowed his eyes slightly and frowned a little in an attempt to hide his amusement, but it didn't quite work, and Naruto just laughed at him.

Naruto blushed as he noticed that Gaara had subtly taken a couple of steps forward, and they were suddenly really close, "Gaara, what are you- Oh!" Naruto exclaimed as Gaara suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace, almost to the point where Naruto had trouble breathing. After a moment's hesitation, he returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around Gaara's waist and hugging him even closer. They stayed like that for an amount of time that anyone else would have found to be painfully awkward.

"Gaara…" Naruto murmured, smiling to himself. He affectionately rested his chin against Gaara's shoulder.

A few moments later, Gaara pulled away slightly so that they could look at each other, and he slid his hands up to rest gently on Naruto's shoulders. They smiled at each other, completely wrapped up in their own world.

To Naruto's dismay, Gaara suddenly appeared to be annoyed, "Now tell me… What were you trying to say to me earlier?"

"Shoot… You're not going to let me get away with that one, huh?"

"No, Naruto, because if you don't tell me right now, you won't be able to for who-knows how long."

"Ah, you do have a point, there," Naruto said with a little chuckle. But then his face dropped, "I just… I don't want you to get mad…"

"Why would I ever-?"

"I… I really like you, Gaara…" Naruto blurted.

Gaara looked amused at the statement, and he wondered why it had been so hard for Naruto to say to him, "Oh… Naruto, I really like you too-"

"No… That's not what I-" Naruto sighed in frustration, "Not like _that_, Gaara…" Naruto said, hoping that Gaara would put the rest of the pieces together. Every moment of that conversation was so painful for him; he still didn't know how Gaara would react to his lousy confession.

"Like _this_, then?" Gaara asked with an expression on his face that Naruto had never seen from him and didn't understand at all. Gaara moved his right hand, cupped the back of Naruto's neck, and gently but enticingly pulled him into a passionate kiss. His other hand moved to the small of Naruto's back and slid underneath his jacket, stroking the skin between his T-shirt and his pants. Naruto leaned into him, liking the seemingly endless warmth that was radiating from his skin. He snaked his arms around the redhead's neck and felt Gaara's hand running through his golden hair.

Naruto started to feel dizzy; the emotions and warmth coursing through his body were so new to him, but he couldn't get enough of it. Or maybe it was the fact that both he and Gaara kept forgetting to breathe as they kissed. Gaara started to pull away, but Naruto gently tugged on the shirt cloth at his shoulders to keep him in a tight embrace.

"I love you…" Naruto whispered weakly, still breathing heavily. After the initial shock of hearing that statement Gaara started to respond, but he was rudely interrupted.

"Oh, would you two just get a room already?" Kankuro teased obnoxiously, completely ruining the moment. He, Temari, and Baki were standing a few meters away, looking highly amused; they had stopped when they realized Gaara wasn't walking with them anymore, and had seen quite a lot of what had just happened.

Gaara and Naruto both tensed up in each other's arms and blushed, "Shut up," they both said in annoyance and embarrassment, and their voices overlapped eerily closely.

Kankuro laughed, and Temari smiled lightly, "C'mon, let's go," she gently encouraged with hand gestures.

Gaara gazed at Naruto, who still looked a little abashed, but he mostly looked upset that the reality of Gaara having to leave had finally struck him like a ton of bricks.

"I love you too," Gaara murmured as a delayed response to Naruto's confession. As a silent "goodbye," he tugged on Naruto's jacket collar and pulled him into another kiss, but Naruto certainly didn't need that much persuasion; he gladly accepted it and kept it with him, because he knew he was going to need it to hold him until he saw his new lover once again.

* * *

So there you have it. Another GaaNaru / NaruGaa one-shot. =]

Umm. I tried so hard to make Gaara seme here, but I failed epically, just like I anticipated. Sorry if you were expecting anything better than this. I'm proud though, because usually it's worse. Haha

Please Review, I'd really appreciate it. =]


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